Lancman will challenge Turner in an altered district

Democratic assemblyman Rory Lancman has announced a challenge to freshman Rep. Bob Turner, a Republican elected in September to a district that may be heavily affected by the redistricting process.

Lancman has been eager to run for the seat ever since Anthony Weiner resigned from it, but in the special election to replace Weiner, the Queens County Democratic Organization backed another candidate, David Weprin, who lost.

Story Continued Below

Some Links:

2012

Obama is returning $200,000 in donations raised by two brothers who are seeking a pardon for a third brother who moved to Mexico and has been linked to fraud, drug and murder charges. [Mike McIntire]

A report from Bloomberg's office showed a connection between the Mormon church and unregulated gun sales. [Reuven Blau]

Bloomberg donated $311 million in 2011, putting him just behind George Soros on a list of top philanthropists. [Carl Campanile]

As the Giants get their parade, a reporter looks at the debate about giving Iraq War veterans a parade too. [Kate Taylor]

Albany

Cuomo has found various ways to turn down the volume on good-government groups. [Jacob Gershman]

"It's hard to square that transaction with Cuomo's promises of campaign finance reform," a columnist wrote, referring to how Cuomo's campaign requested use of a donor's plane for a flight to Hollywood for a fund-raiser. [Bill Hammond]

Legislators oppose Cuomo's plan to grant employees in the inspector general's office access to state workers' tax returns without a subpoena. [Erik Kriss]